Updates to our Terms of Use

We are updating our Terms of Use. Please carefully review the updated Terms before proceeding to our website.

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Student Says Adults Ganged Up & Beat Him

PHOENIX (CN) - A high school dean in suburban Phoenix kicked a student while a teacher held him down, the student claims in court.

Conner Floyd-Elsesser sued the Paradise Valley Unified School District, its teacher Derald Mariner and dean Michael O'Connor, in Maricopa County Court.

Floyd-Elsesser claims the adults ganged up on him during a food fight while he as a freshman.

He claims that Mariner prevented him from leaving the school cafeteria during the food fight on May 22, 2012, by tackling him and pinning him down.

"Mariner violently tackled Conner and pinned him to the ground," the complaint states. "To keep Conner pinned to the floor, Mr. Mariner wrapped his hands around Conner's throat in a choke-like position, and pushed his knee into Conner's shoulder. While Mr. Mariner held Conner down, Charles Michael O'Connor, a Dean at Horizon High School, kicked Conner."

After the assault, the "school's teachers and administrators met and colluded to ensure they told a consistent story to police investigators," the Floyd-Elsesser says in the complaint.

"Mariner told the responding police officer that Mr. Floyd-Elsesser 'ran straight toward him,' and that he raised his hands defensively, but Mr. Floyd-Elsesser intentionally tackled' him and knocked Defendant Mariner to the ground, so that he landed on top of Mr. Floyd-Elsesser," according to the complaint.

Floyd-Elsesser claims he suffered a sprained shoulder from the beating by the adults, yet he was charged with felony aggravated assault.

During his criminal trial in January, Floyd-Elsesser presented witnesses who testified to defendants' "unprovoked and violent conduct," he says in the complaint.

He claims the court found him not delinquent.

Floyd-Elsesser and his parents seek punitive damages for assault and battery, malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, abuse of process, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

They are represented by Christopher DeRose.

Paradise Valley is part of greater Phoenix, near Scottsdale.

Follow @jamierossCNS
Categories / Uncategorized

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Loading...